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Recipes for Health: Winter Squash
Like other orange vegetables, winter squash is an excellent source of vitamin A, in the form of beta carotene, which has powerful antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties. It’s also a very good source of vitamin C, potassium, dietary fiber and manganese, and a good source of folate, omega-3 fatty acids, vitamin B1, copper, vitamin B6, niacin and pantothenic acid.
Winter squashes like kabocha, the green pumpkin-shaped squashes that are now widely available in farmers’ markets, can be a bit daunting to work with. They’re so thick and hard that you may wonder where to begin. I usually roast these rough- and thick-skinned squashes before I try to tackle peeling them: cut them in half or quarters, scrape away the seeds and fibrous membranes, put them on an oiled, foil-lined baking sheet, then roast at 425ºF until they are soft enough to pierce with the tip of a knife. Then you can peel them easily and proceed with a given recipe. Butternut squashes, though equally hard, have a smooth skin that you can peel away with a vegetable peeler (cut them in half first to make the task easier). Martha Rose Shulman